Neighbors: Downtown
"Happy Holidays, the season has arrived all too quickly for me," writes Ejo Fox. "For the past three years the neighborhood has generously given many gifts to St. Augustine Youth Services.

Wallis and Abell reign over gala
The once water-filled Lightner Museum swimming pool was filled with a sea of black and white recently, during the Junior Service League's Black Tie Fund raising Gala, "Black and White Ball, Party of the Century."

Go & Do
TODAY
Holiday party: The Enterprising Women's Leadership Institute will have its holiday party at 5:30 p.m. upstairs at Harry's Restaurant, 46 Avenida Menendez. Cost of $25 in advance or $35 at the door includes dinner. Please bring a wrapped gift to be donated to a child and a wrapped gift candle for the candle swap. Call 461-7297 or e-mail wiles1964@bellsouth.net.

Children can 'zumba' at the YMCA
One of the latest exercise sensations sweeping the nation is zumba, a fitness program pioneered by celebrity trainer "Beto" Perez. It's a combination of motivating, high-energy music with unique moves employs the principles of aerobic/interval training and resistance training to create an effective fitness routine that is also fun to do. The program involves a mixture of body sculpting movements with easy-to-follow dance steps.

Neighbors: Notes from Lincolnville
In May of 2003, when Bridgette Smith Nelson threw a party at 52 M.L. King Ave. for her friend Elizabeth Roth to promote Roth's new CD "Like the David," Brenda and I were invited.

Hawgs for dawgs events
Motorcycle and pet enthusiasts are invited to come out and enjoy a fun day in the sun and do a little holiday shopping as well.

Go & Do
TODAY
Farmers' and craft market: Buy fresh fruit, veggies, bread, and arts and crafts from local vendors from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the St. Augustine Beach Pier.

News & Notes
Thursday concert
The Holiday Brass Ensemble of Navy Band Southeast will offer a Holiday Caroling Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Plaza de la Constitucion.

IN SERVICE
Army National Guard Pfc. Eugenia A. Giddens has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.

Top off dinner with tiramisu
Growing up in an Italian family, you get a taste of Italy each time your mother is in the kitchen. Then one day you come across a recipe you never had before. Tiramisu, also known as a Tuscan Trifle, was created in Siena (a Northwestern province of Tuscany), in the nineteenth century. Other stories of the dessert's origin go back to the First World War when soldier's wives would make the dessert for their men to give them more energy for battle. Another version of the story is said to go back to the renaissance period when Venetian women made the traditional Italian dessert for their men during late hours to give them more energy for they wanted to make more vigorous love!

Happy New Year - 2008, Black-eye peas, greens
Your kitchen must be steaming barely getting through Thanksgiving and all the Christmas doings. Now here comes the New Year 2008. Join with me and have a cocktail but NOT before you steam your kitchen once again for the good luck New Year's feast of mustard/collard greens, black-eye peas and cornbread.

Fast food can be healthy
other ingredients into the skillet and cover it. As the dish simmers, all the flavors meld and the sauce almost makes itself.

Yummy collection of Christmas cookies
These easy, no-bake cookies are chewy, crunchy and chocolatey all at once. The recipe calls for dried cranberries and dates, but any chopped dried fruit can be substituted.

Try this tasty Savannah red rice dish
Doug Neils of Timonium, Md., wanted to find a recipe for a side dish called Red Rice. His aunt in North Carolina used to make this for him when he was a child in the early 1970s. He remembers that her rice had bacon, onion and some kind of tomatoes to make it red. He has tried to re-create it over the years, but with no real success.

5 things you didn't know about headaches
1 'Tis the Season: According to a recent online survey by the National Headache Foundation, 52 percent of respondents said that during the holiday season the frequency or severity of their headaches increases.

Genetic testing leads to ethical minefield
CHICAGO -- As genetic tests multiply and become widely available, more people face a vexing question: If I discover I have a genetic mutation linked to a serious illness, am I obliged to tell family members who share my DNA?

Researcher says infections feed cancers
MELVILLE, N.Y. -- Possibly as many as a fifth of all forms of cancer are caused by chronic infections, and if vaccine and drug efforts were substantially boosted worldwide, thousands of cancers could be prevented, a leading expert is positing.

Breast cancer program grants available
JACKSONVILLE -- The North Florida Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure is now accepting applications for grant funds for fiscal year 2008. Breast cancer and breast health programs from nonprofit organizations, governmental agencies and educational institutions in Duval, St. Johns, Clay, Nassau, and Baker counties are eligible for funding. Applications must be postmarked by 5 p.m. on Jan. 11.

Dr. Donohue: Is estrogen safe for menopause symptoms?
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am in my early 50s and going through menopause. I suffer from hot flashes. Every night one wakes me up at 3 a.m., and I cannot get back to sleep. I am leery about taking estrogen since there is breast cancer in my family and because of its other side effects. However, I need something for the night hot flashes and sweats. Would it be better to take estrogen in low doses or some kind of sleep aid? Are there any natural remedies? E.G.

GOP rivals engage in mild debate
JOHNSTON, Iowa -- Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee emerged unscathed from a surprisingly docile debate Wednesday, as rivals passed on their last chance to challenge the new front-runner face to face before Iowa kicks off voting in three weeks for the Republican presidential nomination.

Thousands of holiday cards to soldiers won't be delivered
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Hundreds of thousands of holiday cards and letters thanking wounded American troops for their sacrifice and wishing them well never reach their destination. They are returned to sender or thrown away unopened.

Storm knocks out power in central U.S.
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Stan Turner awoke Tuesday to find not only was his home without power but an ice-coated tree limb had crashed into his classic Mustang. The only heat available for the house came from a fireplace, a wood-burning chimenea on the porch and a gas stove.

Clinton accuses Obama of leaning too far left
WASHINGTON -- Using a curious tactic in a Democratic primary season dominated by liberals, Hillary Rodham Clinton on Tuesday accused Barack Obama of being too far left to be elected president citing a decade-old questionnaire indicating Obama once opposed the death penalty and backed socialized medicine.

Kindergartners more ready for school
TALLAHASSEE -- Screening tests show kindergartners in Florida this year were better prepared for school than last year's class, state education officials said Wednesday.

Dumping fix is meeting topic
The Lincolnville Neighborhood Association is hosting a meeting at 6:30 tonight on St. Augustine's plan to fix the illegal dumping of old landfill dirt into a borrow pit.

New high school's name is Creekside
With all the enthusiasm of a compromise, the St. Johns County School Board gave a name to the new high school previously designated "DDD" Tuesday night at its monthly meeting.

Police Report:
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD):

Penalty OK'd if roadwork late
The 14 residential developments that united in a consortium to pay for road capacity were surprised Tuesday when St. Johns County commissioners voted unanimously to impose a $725,000 lateness penalty on them as of Jan. 11, 2008.

Police Report: Car strikes carriage
ST. AUGUSTINE
Car strikes carriage: A woman faces charges of careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident with injuries and driving while license suspended/revoked after a hit-and-run accident involving a horse carriage in the downtown area, according to a report from the St. Augustine Police.

County may drop EOC option
When Charles R. and Gabye Usina donated 40 acres to the St. Johns County Agricultural Center in 1983, they had no reason to believe the county would consider changing its use in any way.

CHARITIES REBUFFED
The annual Santa Sleigh Ride, scheduled to depart from St. Augustine's Plaza de la Constitucion this weekend and next, won't be delivering Christmas magic to local children this year.

Parking Change
St. Augustine Beach resident Dan Cimbora buys a ticket from the City of St. Augustine's new solar-powered parking meters around the Plaza de la Constitucion on Tuesday. Twelve of the meters surround the plaza, charging $1.50 an hour to park. The meters are part of the city's new pilot program, which takes away free parking around the plaza and charges a $1.50. But drivers who purchase a prepaid debit card from the city's Financial Office off Bridge Street will pay 50 cents an hour.

New jet service offered here
An innovative new airline specializing in on-demand airfare is now serving St. Augustine, offering business travelers the convenience of a private jet without the cost of purchasing one.

Alexander Peter Metrakos
Alexander Peter Metrakos, 61, of St. Augustine, died Dec. 8, 2007, at Flagler Hospital. Mr. Metrakos was a native of Milwaukee, Wis., and had resided in St. Augustine for the past 27 years. Mr. Metrakos was a self employed investor and he served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Robert J. "Bob" Wehking
Robert J. Wehking, 69, of St. Augustine, Fla., died Dec. 6, 2007 after a long battle with cancer.

Cecil F. Pacetti
Cecil F. Pacetti, 93, of St. Augustine, died Dec. 10, 2007, at Flagler Hospital. Mr. Pacetti was a native and lifelong resident of St. Augustine and the St. Johns County area of Elkton.

The Rev. Carolyn J. Andrews
The Rev. Carolyn J. Andrews, 59, of St. Augustine, died Dec. 8, 2007, at Flagler Hospital following a courageous battle with cancer.

Marjorie Rebeiro
Marjorie Rebeiro, 76, of St. Augustine, died Dec. 5, 2007, at Flagler Hospital. Mrs. Rebeiro was a native of Dighton, Mass., and had resided in St. Augustine several years.

Fred Otto and Joan Clara Grabow
Fred Otto Grabow, 83, of St. Augustine, died Dec. 8, 2007, at Earl B. Hadlow Center for Caring in Jacksonville. Mr. Grabow was a native of New York, N.Y.

Godfrey L. Southard, Jr.
Godfrey L. Southard, Jr., 68, of Elkton, Fla., died Dec. 9, 2007, at Flagler Hospital. Mr. Southard was a native of Miami, Fla., and had resided in St. Augustine since 1983, moving here from Hahira, Ga.

Editorial: Headed to 'state' finals again
Two St. Johns County high school football teams St. Augustine and Nease are in the hunt again for state championships Friday and Saturday in Orlando's Citrus Bowl.

Editorial: Tim Tebow's the 'real' thing
Tim Tebow, the nation's newest Heisman Trophy winner and a former Nease High School football star, displayed great humility and team sportsmanship when he accepted the coveted award Saturday night in New York City.

Letter: Doesn't sympathize with homeless any more
Editor: I have always had some sympathy for the homeless before I moved to St. Augustine. But I experienced two incidents recently in the Plaza area and now I am in the process of changing my mind. Today we call them homeless but my grandfather used to call them shiftless bums or hobos. To him they were lazy people who did not want to find work and traded on the kindness of misguided strangers.

Perspective: A grim reminder we are all everyday people
A few words before I go.
First off: happy holidays. Merry Christmas, happy Kwanzaa, happy Hanukkah. Barring something unforeseen, we won't talk again until the new year. Your humble correspondent is taking a few mental health days.

Letter: Don't dump in Lincolnville
Editor: City officials will participate in an important community meeting tonight on the Lincolnville dump site and proposed park at 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 85 M.L. King Ave.

Letter: Challenges evolution theory from recent letter
Editor: The letter "Skepticism over evolution" in Monday's St. Augustine Record citing the Second Law of Thermodynamics as an argument against the evolution of more and more complex organisms is a misrepresentation of the applicability of the Second Law.

NBA: Ford injured in Toronto victory
ATLANTA -- Toronto point guard T.J. Ford was taken off the court on a stretcher following a scary fall late in Tuesday night's 100-88 victory over Atlanta.

NHL: Philadelphia routs Pittsburgh, 8-2
PHILADELPHIA -- Joffrey Lupul notched a hat trick and had six points, and R.J. Umberger matched him with three goals to snap Philadelphia's five-game winless skid at home and lift the Flyers to an 8-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.

772 inmates could get sentences reduced
Nearly 800 federal inmates convicted of crack cocaine offenses in the district that includes Northeast Florida are eligible for sentence reductions following a decision Tuesday by the judicial agency that sets federal sentencing policy.

Local roundup: SAHS' Ray sets county career scoring record
St. Augustine High girls soccer standout Laura Ray made county history on Tuesday night. The senior scored five goals to break former Bartram Trail standout Katelin Swift's career scoring record in St. Augustine's 13-0 win over Atlantic.

Roundup
Tiger wins another Player of the Year award
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. No one came close to matching Tiger Woods on the PGA Tour, which is becoming as predictable as Woods being voted the PGA Tour player of the year.

Tejada traded to Houston; Rowand to San Francisco
Miguel Tejada was traded to Houston and Aaron Rowand joined the San Francisco Giants as major league teams made a flurry of moves Wednesday, one day before the release of George Mitchell's report on drugs.

Tebow back in Florida after Heisman
GAINESVILLE -- Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow stepped out of the police car, still wearing a long, blue wool coat on a warm day and feeling wiped out after a whirlwind weekend.

For The Record
Hastings Christmas celebration
The St. Johns County Public Library System and the Neighborhood Partnership invites everyone to help decorate the Hastings Branch Library Christmas tree on at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Sources: Mitchell Report to name All-Stars
NEW YORK -- The Mitchell Report exposes a "serious drug culture within baseball, from top to bottom," fingers MVPs and All-Stars and calls for beefed-up testing by an outside agency to clean up the game, The Associated Press learned Wednesday.

Woman injured in crash
A 79-year-old Orange Springs woman is in serious condition following a wreck in Putnam County Wednesday morning.

Stopping all comers this year
St. Augustine High coaches and players are reluctant to gush praise about themselves. Turns out, they don't have to. Former opponents dish it out for them.

Finalists named for state song
TALLAHASSEE -- One song makes only a brief mention of the Suwanee River, another extols Florida as the place "Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky, and the third hails the "Land of the sunshine, by flowers defined."

Kindergartners more ready for school
TALLAHASSEE -- Screening tests show kindergartners in Florida this year were better prepared for school than last year's class, state education officials said Wednesday.

FWC: Body of missing boater located
The body of a boater from Miami, missing since Friday, was found floating on the St. Johns River today by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer.

World Report: Medvedev would choose Putin as prime minister
MOSCOW Vladimir Putin's choice to succeed him as president, Dmitry Medvedev, told Russians on Tuesday that if elected he would ask Putin to become prime minister, potentially revealing the final pages of a Kremlin script crafted to perpetuate Putin's grip on power.

Car bombs shatter Iraqi city's calm
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Three car bombs exploded in quick succession in Amarah on Wednesday, killing at least 41 people and injuring 128 in what has been a relatively calm Shiite Muslim city, police and hospital officials said.